Seven in ten Estonian households have internet at home

In Estonia seven in ten households had internet connection at home in the first quarter of 2011, most of the connections being broadband connections, Statistics Estonia said on Friday.

The percentage of households with internet connection has increased somewhat every year during the last five years.Of the country's households 71 percent had internet connection at home and 66 percent had broadband connection, ratios that were respectively three percentage points and two percentage points higher than a year ago.

It is not unusual for a household to have multiple internet connections. Mobile internet connection has become more popular in recent years and this year every sixth household used only mobile connection or had mobile internet as an additional possibility for going online.

Almost all households with children and two or more adults had internet connection at home, whereas of households made up of a single adult only one in two had it. The percentage of internet users decreases with age. Almost all persons aged 16–34 used computer and internet, compared to half of persons aged 55–64 and a quarter of persons aged 65–74.

In 2011 also the use of public sector e-services and satisfaction with the services was surveyed. Less than 2 percent of internet users were not aware of any e-services of public authorities.The most popular e-service of the public sector was declaration of taxes, which was done online by two-thirds of internet users.

The least frequently used were application for a birth and marriage certificate, a construction permit, and changing the residence address in the Population Register. However, half of internet users had heard about these services.

In general residents are satisfied with the e-services of public authorities. Eight out of ten internet users aware of e-services were rather satisfied or very satisfied with the e-services of public authorities.